DEHRADUN: After the deaths of over 60 equines in Char Dham trek routes, especially in Kedarnath, former union minister Maneka Gandhi’s ‘People For Animals’ (PFA) has sent a legal notice to state government officials including the chief secretary and director general of police of Uttarakhand.
“Keeping in mind your esteemed positions in the state machinery, your Constitutional duties and responsibilities, it is shameless and abominable that you are sitting idly while the human and animal populace of the state are being
subjected to great inconvenience and difficulty,” says the legal notice to the chief secretary, additional chief secretary, director general of police, secretary of animal husbandry and others.
Notice dated May 25, 2022, by member secretary of the PFA Gauri Maulekhi citing Uttarakhand High Court order dated July 4, 2018, concerning animals and their state of living states, “It is
urgently highlighted to your kind selves that such inaction/ failure on your part to carry out the mandate of the judgment is erroneous and in direct contravention to the directions of the Hon’ble Uttarakhand High Court as well as Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.”
The notice further stated that the illegal cross-border movement of equines, equine driven carts/ tongas between India and Nepal and cruelty to equines, especially on the tracks of Chardham- Gangotri-Gaumukh, Yamunotri, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Kailash Mansarovar in Uttarakhand is continuing with impunity till date.
The notice adds that all such acts amount to wilful disobedience and contempt of said judgment as those are in utter non-compliance with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and allied Rules namely Prevention of Cruelty to Draught and Pack Animals Rules, 1965, The Transport of Animals Rules, 1978, Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Transport of Animals on Foot) Rules, 2001, as well as Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Act, 2009.
“It is unfortunate and contemptuous that you have failed to restrict the illegal movement of equines, equine driven carts/ tongas in the state as well as between India and Nepal and cruelty to equines under your jurisdiction despite the mandate of the Hon’ble Courts and the issuance of various directions,” said the notice.
Calling for urgent punitive actions against all non-compliant individuals/ entities/businesses dealing in the movement of equines, equine driven carts/ tongas across the state of Uttarakhand to fulfil the mandate of the courts the notice added, “…equines are being treated with unparalleled and unabated cruelty across the State of Uttarakhand including its various tracks especially Chardham.”
Maulekhi, in the notice, states that due to continued lackadaisical complacency on the part of state government authorities, no effort has been made on their part to check the influx of infectious diseases transmitted by equines, which are dangerous to both animals and humans such as Glanders and Equine Influenza Virus.
“…illegal movement of equines and equine driven carts continues unabated across the state without any intervention by you the Noticees and there has been no compliance by you the Noticees of the applicable laws as also the judgment till date, causing many equine deaths in the state,” added the notice.
“Needless to state, non-compliance of the Judgment dated 04.07.2018 amounts to contempt of court and is punishable under Contempt of Courts Act, 1971,” it said.
Calling for not developing a policy on the use of equines in the state despite a large population of working equines across Uttarakhand which also has frequent cross border movement lamentable, Maulekhi mentioned that non-compliance with the judgment dated July 4, 2018 amounts to contempt of court and is punishable under Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.